Recently, a number of new coronavirus antigen detection products have been approved for marketing, which has attracted attention. Some pharmacies in Fuzhou have also opened an appointment purchase channel. What is an antigen test? What is the difference between this and the well-known nucleic acid test? How is the detection accuracy? What does one need to do? Are there any caveats? The reporter interviewed Zhang Shuai, the chief physician of the infectious disease prevention and control department of the Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Q: What is an antigen test? How is it different from nucleic acid testing?
Answer: Antigens are the protein components of viruses. The shape of the new coronavirus is spherical. The outer shell of the sphere is mainly composed of proteins and lipids, and the core is a complex formed by the combination of nucleic acid and protein of the virus. Antigen detection is to detect the protein component of the virus from the antibody, so as to determine whether the sample to be tested contains the virus.
Antigen detection is more convenient and quicker, but less sensitive. Nucleic acid testing is more complex and takes longer to obtain results, but is more sensitive.
Q: Can antigen test results replace nucleic acid test results?
Answer: The answer is “no”. Nucleic acid detection is still the basis for the diagnosis of new coronavirus infection, and antigen detection can be used as a supplement to nucleic acid detection.
Positive nucleic acid test: Take corresponding measures according to the new coronavirus infection or confirmed patients with new coronary pneumonia.
Negative nucleic acid test and positive antigen test: regarded as a person infected with the new coronavirus. Take measures such as centralized isolation, close observation, and continuous nucleic acid testing.
Q: Who is eligible for antigen testing?
Answer: There are three main groups of people: one is those who go to primary medical and health institutions for treatment, with symptoms such as respiratory tract and fever, and have symptoms within 5 days; Close contact and sub-close contact, entry quarantine observation, personnel in closed and controlled areas, and control areas; the third is community residents who need antigen self-testing.
Q: What to do with the used self-test reagent?
Answer: Isolation observers: Regardless of whether the test results are negative or positive, all used sampling swabs, sampling tubes, test cards, etc. are put into sealed bags, and the management personnel refer to medical waste or dispose of them according to procedures.
Community residents: If the test result is negative, all nasal swabs, sampling tubes, test cards, etc. after use are put into sealed bags for general garbage disposal; All nasal swabs, sampling tubes, test cards, etc., are put into sealed bags and handed over to medical institutions for disposal as medical waste.
In order to ensure the quality of sampling and testing, residents must read the instructions carefully, and standardize operations such as sampling, adding samples, and interpretation of results in accordance with the prescribed requirements and procedures. (Reporter Lin Wenjing Correspondent Zhan Wenqing)
(Fuzhou Daily)